Opinion
Education Letter to the Editor

Source of Research Vital to Assessing Fordham Report

November 13, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

I began reading your article “Report Pans How States Set the Bar” (Oct. 10, 2007) with interest, as I agreed with the premise of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation’s report “The Proficiency Illusion” that the differing measurements by which states determine proficiency under the federal No Child Left Behind Act are an important variable that many seem to ignore. But when I discovered that the Northwest Evaluation Association, the organization responsible for the research for the report, used its computerized assessment, the Measures of Academic Progress, as a basis for comparison between state tests, my interest in the study and the article ended.

The presupposition that this test compares with many state tests is absurd. The students in my school take both the MAP and the MCAS, the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests, and all one has to do is take a look at a few of the sample questions for each to understand there is very little correlation between the two.

The evidence from the study would appear, then, to be fundamentally flawed. Not acknowledging the source of the research earlier in the article is a mistake I would hope would be avoided in the future.

Putnam Goodwin-Boyd

Florence, Mass.

A version of this article appeared in the November 14, 2007 edition of Education Week

Events

Student Well-Being Webinar After-School Learning Top Priority: Academics or Fun?
Join our expert panel to discuss how after-school programs and schools can work together to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.
Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: May 17, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: May 3, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: April 26, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: March 29, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read